I Want My Rights

I Want My Rights

Daughters Of Zelophehad

Read: Numbers 27:1-4

Each year, more than one hundred million lawsuits are filed in U.S. federal courts, and the number continues to mushroom. The Bible records one of the earliest lawsuits in history, an unusual one involving five women. Since only sons inherited property under Hebrew law, Zelophehad’s family would not be allotted a portion of the Promised Land. His five daughters approached Moses and requested an inheritance in their father’s name. The request was unusual, but the women’s motives could not be questioned. They didn’t seek personal gain, but desired only to preserve their family line, a concept which God clearly valued.

It’s human nature to demand our rights. Advertising feeds this tendency and tries to convince us that we deserve whatever we desire. Even if our goal in life is to follow God, we can fall into the trap of thinking that we have a right to good health, well-behaved children, a secure job, and a nice home. But God never promised us perfect lives. Doing his will often requires us to subordinate our personal liberties and place others’ interests above our own. As his children, he asks us to yield our rights to him and fully trust his control over the events of our lives.

On the other hand, we often don’t exercise the rights we have been given. As God’s children, we have the incredible privilege of approaching him at any time to request his help. He gives us the right to exercise authority over our sinful nature and over Satan’s attempts to lure us away from God. Any rights that we demand pale in comparison to the right to be called God’s daughters.

To all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God.

John 1:12